Method for offering location information and location information providing system

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a location information providing method generating a map image in itself for a current position of a protectee terminal, when a protector terminal requests current position related information of a protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmits the map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of KoreanApplication No. 10-2010-0119973, filed Nov. 29, 2010, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a location information providingmethod, particularly to a location information providing methodgenerating a map image in itself for a current position of a protecteeterminal at a protectee terminal, when requesting current positionrelated information of a protectee terminal from a protector terminal tothe protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directlytransmits the map image other than a picture image of a protecteeterminal user to a protector terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art

A location based service (LBS) refers to a service providing variousinformation related to positions by means of attaching chips connectedto a base station or a global positioning system (GPS) such as alocation tracking service, a public security service, and a locationbased information service. That is, a location based service is toprovide several kinds of services based on location information obtainedthrough a wired/wireless communication network.

Technical challenge solved by the present disclosure, is to provide alocation information providing method generating a map image in itselffor a current position of a protectee terminal at a protectee terminal,when a protector terminal requests information on a current position ofa protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmitsthe map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to aprotector terminal.

Another technical challenge solved by the present disclosure, is toprovide a location information providing system generating a map imagein itself for a current position of a protectee terminal at a protecteeterminal, when a protector terminal requests information on a currentposition of a protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminaldirectly transmits the map image other than a picture image of aprotectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A location information providing method according to the presentdisclosure to achieve the technical challenges is performed between aprotector terminal and a protectee terminal, having the steps of: (a)requesting positioning information services from the protector terminalto the protectee terminal; (b) generating a map image of a place wherethe protectee terminal is located responsive to the location informationservice request; and (c) adjusting the map image to a form suitable todisplay at the protector terminal, and directly transmitting theadjusted map image to the protector terminal.

A location information providing system according to the presentdisclosure to achieve said other technical challenges; transceiveslocation information between at least two of wireless terminals,comprising a location based service server generating a map imagecorresponding to location coordinates; a first wireless terminaltransmitting the location information service request requiringinformation related to a spot where a second wireless terminal issituated, and replaying the map image; and the second wireless terminalreceiving the location coordinates from a man-made satellite responsiveto the location information service request, and then delivering thelocation coordinates to the location based service server and receivingthe map image to transmit it to the first wireless terminal.

The present disclosure is advantageous in that a protector terminaldirectly receives from a protectee terminal a map image of a spot wherethe protected terminal is placed and displays the same without goingthrough a location information provision gateway server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 indicates a location information providing system according tothe disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an example of a display panel of a protector terminal in thelocation information providing system according to the disclosure; and

FIG. 3 indicates a signal flow diagram of a location informationproviding method according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

So as to fully understand the present disclosure and benefits in anoperation of the disclosure and objectives attained by practice of thepresent disclosure, reference will have to be made to the accompanyingdrawings and contents recited in said accompanying drawings ofdescribing exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Hereinafter, by describing a preferred embodiment of the disclosure withreference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure isexplained in detail. Same reference numerals presented in each drawingrepresents same members.

A core idea of the present disclosure is that when a protector terminalrequests information on a current position of a protectee terminal, amap image on a current position of the protectee terminal is generatedat the protectee terminal, and the protectee terminal directly deliversthe map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to aprotector terminal.

In the prior art, a protector terminal would request locationinformation of a protectee terminal not from a protectee terminal butfrom a location information providing gateway server using WIPIapplication. A location information providing server resent locationinformation of a protectee terminal in a data packet to a protectorterminal in response to the request.

Herein, WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability) is thename of a standard mobile platform in South Korea. This is establishedto lade a piece of content in service through several communicationagents by standardizing a mobile platform between telecommunicationcompanies. Prior to the introduction of WIPI, a mobile communicationmarket of South Korea used to use a different platform for mobilecommunication companies, respectively. Since a variously differentplatform for each mobile communication company is used, each platformresultantly fails to be interchanged. To provide a program such as Gamestailored to a platform of ‘A’ communication company for ‘B’telecommunication firm, an enormous cost including additional investmentof development-stage manpower is necessitated. Plus this, when a unitedplatform is introduced, one-time developed program can be furnishedthrough entire telecommunication companies, thus allowing developmentcost to be saved.

A gateway is a device acting as an inlet moving from one network toanother network, which is used to connect one network such as a localarea network (LAN) to another network. The reason why a gateway isneeded is because a mode of transmitting data from one network toanother network is different. Namely, each network transmits data usinga protocol (a pre-defined contract as a data processing mode)differentiating from another network. In the case of directly connectingto a network using other protocols, data cannot be shared. Ordinarily,an electronic mail sent via internet can be viewed through a PCcommunication service, this is because a gateway exists relaying acommunication internet and the network of PC communication servicecompanies.

In current times, considering that a location information providinggateway server is not open to all users, but servicing only to asubscriber, a service capable of providing location information whendesired to grasp a position of any terminal owner, even in a user thatis not a subscriber, is required.

FIG. 1 indicates a location information providing system according tothe disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, a location information providingsystem 100 comprises a protector terminal 110, a protectee terminal 120,a man-made satellite 130, a location based service server 140, and ageographic information system server 150.

The protector terminal 110 transmits a location information servicerequest to the protectee terminal 120 requiring information on a spotwhere the protectee terminal 120 is placed, and plays a map image and apicture image that has transmitted from the protectee terminal 120 on adisplay panel.

The protectee terminal 120 receives position coordinates from theman-made satellite 130, delivers position coordinates to the positionbased service server 140, and delivers the map image received from thelocation based service server 140 to the protector terminal 110 inresponse to the location information service request transmitted fromthe protector terminal 110.

The location based service server 140 delivers location coordinatesreceived from the protectee terminal 120 to the geographic informationsystem server 150, receives the map image from the geographicinformation system server 150, and delivers it to the protectee terminal120.

The geographic information system server 150 generates the map imagecontaining a region corresponding to location coordinates and asurrounding image of certain range, received from a location basedservice server 140, to deliver it to the location based service server140.

Herein, a geographic information system (GIS) means a system employableto a topography related field such as transportation/communication byanalyzing/processing a geographic space data. This refers to acomprehensive information system designed to make out/manage a map andgeographic information previously utilized in a print-out form by usinga computer, and based on geographic information obtained therefromgather/analyze/process data to apply to all topology-related fields.

FIG. 2 is an example of a display panel of a protector terminal in alocation information providing system according to the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, a display panel 210 of a protector terminal 200 maybe largely divided into two regions. A picture image display region 220displays a facial picture image of video call parties, and a map imagedisplay region 230 displays a map image. The picture image displayregion 220 is again divided into two of sub regions A and B, and two ofsub regions A and B display faces of 2 talkers, respectively.

The map image display region 230 displays the map image on the spotwhere the protectee terminal is placed.

A size of the map image may be adjusted according to a size of thedisplay panel of the protectee terminal or to conditions of a basestation. An adjustment of the map image is processed in any place of thegeographic information system server 150, the location based serviceserver 140, the protectee terminal 120 and the protector terminal 110.

In FIG. 2, the picture image and the map image are displayed dividing adisplay panel into two regions, but they may be superimposinglydisplayed. In this case, preferably, one image renders a main image andthe other image is an additional image. Also, the picture image mayinclude a face image of talkers as well as a surrounding image of thespot in which the talker is situated. In this case, a talker should bephotographing the vicinity part automatically or manually right beforevideo call or during the video call and putting a surrounding image instorage.

FIG. 3 indicates a signal flow diagram of a location informationproviding method according to the disclosure.

In accordance with a location information providing method 300 accordingto the disclosure shown in FIG. 3, a general communication between aprotector terminal and a protectee terminal is performed with a processthat to a video call trial of one party, the other party connects avideo call.

A signal flowing for location information service is performed asfollows. The protector terminal requests location information service tothe protectee terminal. (1) The protectee terminal, returning to thelocation information service request, receives location coordinates froma man-made satellite. (2, 3)

The protectee terminal delivers location coordinates received from theman-made satellite to a location based service server, whilst requiringmap information. (4)

The location based service server delivers location coordinates receivedfrom the protectee terminal to a geographic information system server,whilst requesting map information. (5)

The geographic information system server generates a map imagecontaining a location coordinate point and a periphery point of theindicated point using an atlas data base stored and location coordinatesreceived from the location based service server, and delivers it to thelocation based service server. (6)

The location based service server delivers the map image received fromthe geographic information system server to the protectee terminal. (7).

The protectee terminal photographs its surrounding image and protectee'sface. (8. 9) A protectee terminal performs a video call with a protectorterminal, simultaneously delivering at least one of the map image, thesurrounding image and facial images to the protector terminal. (10)

While technical spirits of the present disclosure has been describedwith the accompanying drawings in the above part, this exemplarilydescribes a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and notlimiting the disclosure. Also, to those skilled in the art, it would beclear that various modifications and imitations can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A location information providing method between arequest terminal and a target terminal, the method comprising:connecting, by the target terminal or the request terminal, a video callwith the request terminal; receiving, by the target terminal, a requestfor location information of the target terminal while connecting thevideo call with the request terminal; receiving, by the target terminal,location coordinates of the target terminal from a man-made satellite inresponse to the request for the location information; transmitting, bythe target terminal, the location coordinates to a location basedservice server; receiving, by the target terminal, a map image of aplace corresponding to the location coordinates from the location basedservice server; transmitting the map image of the place where the targetterminal is located to the request terminal while connecting the videocall with the request terminal; obtaining, by the target terminal, asurrounding image around the target terminal while connecting the videocall with the request terminal; obtaining, by the target terminal, aface image of a user of the target terminal; and transmitting by thetarget terminal, at least one of the thee image and the surroundingimage to the request terminal, wherein the request terminal displays themap image in a half of a display of the request terminal, one of theface image and the surrounding image in a quarter of the display, and aface image of a user of the request terminal in the other quarter of thedisplay.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the map image of the placecorresponding to the location coordinates is received from a geographicinformation system server by the location based service server.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the surrounding image is obtained by thetarget terminal in response to the request for the location informationof the target terminal.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thesurrounding image is obtained by the target terminal at predeterminedintervals.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surrounding image isobtained by the target terminal when receiving a user's input for thephotographing of the periphery.
 6. A location information providingsystem transceiving location information between at least two wirelessterminals, the system comprising: a location based service serverconfigured to generate a map image corresponding to locationcoordinates; a first wireless terminal configured to: transmit a requestfor the location information while connecting with a second wirelessterminal on a video call or while connected with the second wirelessterminal on the video call, the location information relating to a placewhere the second wireless terminal is located; and display the map imagewhile connecting with the second wireless terminal on the video call orwhile connected with the second wireless terminal on the video call; andthe second wireless terminal configured to: receive a request forlocation information from the first wireless terminal while connectingthe video call with the first wireless terminal or while connected withthe first wireless terminal on the video call; receive the locationcoordinates of the second wireless terminal from a man-made satellite inresponse to the request for the location information; transmit thelocation coordinates to the location based service server; receive themap image of a place corresponding to the location coordinates from thelocation based service server; transmit the map image of the place wherethe second wireless terminal is located to the first wireless terminalwhile connecting the video call with the first wireless terminal orwhile connected with the first wireless terminal on the video call;obtain a surrounding image around the second wireless terminal whileconnecting the video call with the first wireless terminal; obtain aface image of a user of the second wireless terminal; and transmit atleast one of the face image and the surrounding image to the firstwireless terminal, wherein the first wireless terminal displays the mapimage in a half of a display of the first wireless terminal, one of theface image and the surrounding image in a quarter of the display, and aface image of a user of the first wireless terminal in the other quarterof the display.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: ageographic information system server configured to generate the mapimage corresponding to the location coordinates, wherein the locationbased service server delivers the location coordinates to the geographicinformation system server to receive the map image.